Letters

State Representative Bobby Kaufmann’s gambling bill would legalize on-site and online college and professional sports betting, as well as daily fantasy sports sites (DraftKings and FanDuel). This is a massive expansion of gambling. The demand for this comes from the gambling industry, with its out-of-state billionaires, and from the state, for revenue — not from ordinary Iowans.
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By Massimo Paciotto Biggers and Alex Howe At South East Junior High School, we expect excellence. In an age of undeniable and catastrophic climate change, this means we expect excellence in climate action from our teachers and administrators, our district superintendent and the Iowa City school board. As students at South East Junior High School, […]

Is your lawn safe enough for your kids to play on? If you do the “weed and feed” routine, it’s time to rethink. Current lawn culture encourages the use of chemicals, with deceptive descriptions like “healthy lawn.” But don’t be fooled, because pesticides and fertilizers have many risks.

By Jamie Helmick I am a community member here in Iowa City. I attended the March 8 production of The Wild, Wild, Wildest West at South East Junior High. One of the youth in my youth group is a member of the cast and I came to the show to support them. However, when I […]

By Liz O’Hara When I told a friend 16 years ago that I was moving to Iowa, her comment was that the Iowans she had met always seemed so sensible. It’s a flattering generalization, but some in the Iowa Legislature seem about ready to prove the exception. A proposed constitutional amendment subjecting any limits at […]

By Dorian Byrd Dear Mr. Ward, I have a gripe about your recent cartoon in Futile Wrath. I am appalled that you would stoop to likening JESUS with such qualities that reveal Trump’s endless reservoir of thoughtless speech, lack of regard for the suffering of others and of course his dislike of anyone who has […]

An open letter to Women Lead Change, by Heather Bachman Women lead change. That’s an empowering statement and one I can believe in. Women Lead Change (WLC) is also the name of a non-profit organization headquartered in Cedar Rapids with the stated goals of advancing, developing and promoting women. I like the goals. The mission […]

To the future generation: It has been one year since I starting writing to you. One year ago I saw the Northern Lights in Canada. It was awesome and depressing. I saw the lights and learned the effects of global warming on a community. I changed from a denier of climate change to a believer. We have a beautiful world but it is changing. But what can I do? […]

By Chad Cooper Another Super Bowl is in the books. Super Bowl LIII. The 53rd installment. At 5:30 CST on Feb. 3, people from all walks of life gathered around televisions to watch the spectacle. I was one of those people. The game has established the first Sunday in February as essentially a national holiday, […]

By Scott Hartley, Fairfield Trump detractors who decry their target buffoon as a rampant violator of tradition are deficient in political history. The orange POTUS has actually fallen tamely in line with Democrats of the Clinton era. When the former president sometimes known as “Slick Willy” gained the White House, Dems held both chambers of […]

Ten states now regulate marijuana like alcohol. Iowa should follow their lead. Marijuana prohibition hasn’t worked and has hurt taxpayers and everyday Iowans. By legalizing and regulating the sale of marijuana to Iowa adults, we can refocus our criminal justice system on serious crime and expand substance abuse treatment programs.

Some are saying the ad is bad because it’s too political and paints a broad misogynistic stroke over all men. Some are saying it’s great for taking a stand and confronting a serious social issue. Both sides are wrong. […]